1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of computer software. More specifically the invention is directed to a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for selecting and manipulating audio or video data.
2. Background Art
Computer software programs are most frequently designed to provide users with the ability to perform a set of distinct functions. Some of these distinct functions require a set of input parameters. In many, but not all cases, computer users provide this input via an input device such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch screen. Most software programs display a set of graphical components that provide visual cues to the user. These visual cues are designed to hint at or directly display inputs required from the user. This set of graphical components is referred to by those of ordinary skill in the art as a Graphical User Interface (GUI). Many different software programs utilize GUIs. Some of these programs utilize GUIs for purposes of assisting the user with manipulating audio data. For example, software programs exist that enable users to create songs and other audio files by seamlessly combining a set of pre-recorded audio files.
An example of a prior art program that has such functionality is called ACID™ (distributed by Sound Foundry™, Incorporated). Users of ACID™ and other sound editing programs have a need to select and possibly duplicate or delete segments of one or more of the audio files. A user making a remix of a song may, for example, wish to make the song longer and repeat or distort parts of the song by duplicating only a segment of a certain audio track. Existing interfaces for selecting segments of an audio file and duplicating or deleting the selected segment are limited in that such interfaces do not have a set of components to adequately assist the user with the process of accurately selecting a particular segment of the audio file.
Most prior art systems use a system known in the art as modal tool for selection and editing of audio files. Modal Tools require a user to click on a Toolbar that is representative of the tools available in the program to initiate the use of the tool. This requires a few steps for the user. For instance, the user must stop the progress of whatever they were just doing; move the pointer (e.g. mouse) to the tool selection area; and select the desired tool, for example, a selection tool. (Alternatively an experienced user could turn the desired tool on by clicking the appropriate keyboard shortcut.) The user must now come back to the Timeline interface and make the desired selection.
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a prior art GUI and the process of graphically editing objects. This workflow is evident in numerous prior art products, e.g., Apple Computers' Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Express both have the same work flow. As illustrated in FIG. 1, GUI 100, objects 102, 104, and 106 are audio entities in timeline area 130 which the user desires to manipulate. Object 101 is the pointer, which is located somewhere on the GUI, for example, area 120; and object 110 is the tool selection area. As illustrated, tool selection area 110 comprises selection tool 111, magnifier 112, crop tool 113, pen tool 114, etc.
FIG. 2 is an illustration of the prior art selection process. As illustrated, a user desiring to use the selection tool moves mouse pointer 101 to tool selection area 110. The user then clicks (or selects) the desired tool in the tool selection area, for example, selection tool 111.
After obtaining the desired tool from tool selection area 110, the user moves the mouse pointer 101 back to timeline interface area 130 to do the desired action, e.g., selection of audio section.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,969 entitled “Sound Editing System Using Visually Displayed Control Line for Altering Specified Characteristic of Adjacent Segment of a Waveform”, filed on Mar. 19th, 1992 and assigned to Macromedia, Incorporated (hereinafter the '969 patent) is an example of a prior art technique for editing audio files.
The system described in the '969 patent provides a means for entering and storing sound waveforms in a computer memory, for visually displaying the waveform on a computer screen, and for altering the stored waveform by making changes in the appearance of the waveform on the screen, which changes are translated by the computer into changes in the stored waveform. The '969 system includes means for simultaneously displaying several sound waveforms on the screen for purposes of mixing them (i.e., combining several sound waveforms into one) by moving their locations on the screen so as to synchronize selected parts of the waveforms in time. Also, the system provides a means to alter the pitch (i.e., frequency) or amplitude of a particular part of any waveform by moving a segment of a line adjacent to the waveform on the screen. The line corresponds to the pitch or amplitude for the adjacent part of the waveform. Although the interface described in the '969 patent does provide the user with some useful visual cues and the ability to perform important functions, the interface does not utilize a set of components that enables the user to utilize a timeline based approach to precisely select areas of an audio file and the files adjusted parameters.
Because of the limitations existent in the prior art and for other reasons not stated herein, there is a need for an improved interface for handling the editing of audio files.